Album Review: Life On a Rock by Kenny Chesney

It’s been less than a year since Kenny Chesney released his last album. But his singles have been quickly racing up the charts so he’s back with another new set of songs.

This is an interesting collection from Kenny Chesney. He’s performed these songs live and he has talked about what the album means to him. He talks about how he’s kind of in a reflective state of mind these days. He is getting up there around 50 and I’m sure he’s looking back on his life and wondering where all the time went.

I also think he’s happy for all the friends he’s had and the memories he’s made. Maybe he’s releasing music so often these days because he knows that we all only have so much time.

I like it.

Life On A Rock by Kenny Chesney

1. Pirate Flag

This is the opening track and we’ve all heard it by now. It’s a huge single. The interesting thing about this one is it seems to autobiographical for Kenny, but he didn’t actually write this one. It was written by former country star and now star songwriter, David Lee Murphy. Great song. Catchy. But man, we need another David Lee record.

2. When I See This Bar

By now it’s no surprise that Kenny Chesney likes the islands. It seems he can find no end to his wealth of experiences and memories. In this song he cuts down the production and sings about a place he loves. He looks behind the surface into all the people he’s spent time with over the years. It’s one of the best songs on the record.

3. Spread This Love

Now this is really a departure for Kenny. He teamed with the Marley boys on this one and created a great song. It’s something different, but not unexpected from Kenny. It’s all about love. Why do we all have to fight so much? There’s no tolerance in the world, but I guess that’s always been the case. Everybody’s living in fear of the boogeyman. Spread the love.

4. Lindy

It’s another pretty laid back song. There are a few to start off this record after the rocking first track. This is a story of a man the narrator has watched from time to time. It’s an interesting look at life.

5. Coconut Trees

More island fare from Kenny on this one. This album is quirky. Kenny has always had songs like this throughout his career, but this one seems a little more island-y than some of the more recent ones. It’s a nice little touch to have Willie Nelson on board.

6. It’s That Time Of Day

Cool song here. One of my favorite on the record. Again, we’ve gone well into the album and things are very much laid back. It has that feeling like Kenny is reflecting on life. It’s almost like he had some time to take a breath, slow down and think about his life. It’s an interesting layer in this album.

7. Life On A Rock

You have to think this is the most island record Kenny has cut since Songs From An Old Blue Chair. It’s hard to find the singles on this record, but I think this one might be chosen. The songs are so laid back, but this one has a little more production that could work well on radio.

8. Marley

Again, really laid back on this track, but that’s how the title character was in his life. It’s all about inspiration on this record for Kenny. It’s pretty neat to see him stay in his wheelhouse while taking a pretty big step away from the norm on this album.

9. Must Be Something I Missed

Another one looking back on life. It’s interesting how we know things about ourselves that we want to change, but no matter how much we think about it we still keep on doing it.

10. Happy On The Hey Not (A Song for Kristi)

I like this one. A really great way to finish out a pretty good record. I don’t know if I like it as much as the last two albums, but this one has its place. It’s a departure from the more rock-influenced songs Kenny has put out recently. It’s a slight shift to a place where he’s comfortable. That’s something artists seem to have to do from time to time.